Mounting assembly for actuators of cylinder locks



June 2, 1970 E. J. KROOK EI'AL 3,514,983

MOUNTING ASSEMBLY FOR ACTUATORS 0F CYLINDER LOCKS Filed Nov. 1. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' A TTOQNE V June 2, 1970 E. J. KROOK ErAL 3,514,983

MOUNTING ASSEMBLY FOR ACTUATQRS OF CYLINDER LOCKS Filed Nov. 1. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :Illllig s & 5 we: mKu U WK J A'rroe/vfv United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A housing for the actuator of a cylinder lock has inner,

outer, and intermediate circular plates with coacting flanges and detents. holding the plates in axially spaced concentric alignment. The outer plate has a circular hole for the cylinder, while the other two plates have aligned holes with radial slots receiving the flange on the actuator. Radial slots open from the sides of the holes in the inner and intermediate plates. Connecting posts are received in the radial slots, with peripheral grooves in the ends of the posts retainingly engaging the intermediate plate.

When the cylindrical actuator is placed in the holes in the plates it blocks removal of the posts from the radial slots and the housing. An L-shaped retaining clip overlies the inner end of the flange on the actuator with an ear engaged on the outer side of the inner plate and a screw securing the other end of the clip to the inner side of the inner plate.

The invention lies in the provision of a locator plate for the actuator of a cylinder lock that has a generally circular opening that radially supports and locates the actuator. Radial slots opening from the sides of the circular opening receive connector posts for the assembly. Transverse slots in the sides of the posts permit the posts to be slipped transversely into the radial slots and be axially retained by engagement with the plate. When the actuator is then installed through the opening, it prevents removal of the posts from the plate. The actuator is retained axially relative to the plate by a clip that has a hooked engagement under an inner part of the lock housing, and an intermediate portion that axially overlies part of the actuator, with a screw connection between the inner part of the housing and the other end of the clip.

The assembly eliminates the need of permanent connections between the connector posts and the lock housing; and also permits economical interchange of housing parts and posts with a common size of actuator, to provide different sizes and type of lock assemblies.

The drawings, of which there are two sheets, illustrate two different lock or latch operating assemblies using actuator housings assembled according to the invention.

-FIG. 1 is an exploded plan view of a lock and latch assembly having two key operated locks, the latch bolt and latch housing assembly being indicated by dotted lines.

. FIG. 2 is an enlarged inside or rear elevational view of one of the lock assemblies as viewed from the plane of the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

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FIG. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view through the lock housing and assembly taken along the plane of the hue 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the connection for retaining the lock actuator in the housing, the view being taken along the plane of the line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 55 in FIG. 3 and showing the intermediate plate of the lock housing in elevation.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 6--6 in FIG. 5 and showing the connection between the connecting post of the lock assembly and the intermediate plate of the lock housing.

FIG. 7 is an exploded plan view of a modified latch operating mechanism having an outer key operated lock assembly and an inner latch releasing knob.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along a plane indicated by the line 88 in FIG. 7.

The locking and latch operated assembly shown in FIG. 1 shows two identical latch retracting locks 1A and 1B adapted to be mounted on opposite sides of a door to release the latch bolt 2 of a latch assembly generally indicated at 3. The latch bolt and latch assembly are conventionally illustrated in dotted lines and the lock assemblies are adapted to be operated by keys indicated at 4. Each lock assembly has a tailpiece 5 which is engageable through the latch assembly from opposite sides to retract or release the latch bolt as is common. The tailpiece of the lock assembly 1B is rotated 90 from the corresponding position of the tailpiece of the lock assembly 1A. Otherwise the two lock assemblies are identical and a description of one of the assemblies will be suflicientto describe the operation of the assembly.

The lock assembly consists of a housing generally indicated at 6 and consisting of an outer cup shaped stamping 7 having an outwardly turned peripheral flange 8. The base of the stamping 7 forms a generally circular outer plate of the housing. Positioned intermediate of the length of the housing is an intermediate plate 9 with a side Wall 10 nesting within the outer stamping 7 and having a peripheral flange 11 seating against the flange 8. An inner or rear plate 12 of the housing has an oppositely or inwardly turned side wall 13 with a peripheral flange 14 seating against the flange 11 of the intermediate plate. The flanges 8, 11 and 14 have axially offset locating detents or ears 15 which hold the three plates in angularly aligned positions. An outer trim or escutcheon plate 16 surrounds the outer stamping 7 and has an inwardly rolled retaining flange 17 engaging the inner side of the peripheral flange 14 of the inner plate to hold the plates of the housing together.

Positioned within the housing 1A is a lock actuator indicated generally at 18 and consisting of a generally cylindrical body 19 with a key operated cylinder 20* rotatably mounted in the body and controlled by the key 4 as is common. The body 19 has a radially projecting flange or ear 21. The outer stamping 7 of the lock housing defines an opening 22 which passes and exposes the outer end of the cylinder 20 and the intermediate plate 9 and inner plate 12 of the housing have aligned circular openings 23 and 24. The intermediate plate 9 has a slot 25 opening radially from the circular opening 23 while the inner plate 12 has an aligned radially extending slot 26 so that the flange 21 on the lock body is retained against rotation in the housing and in the circular openings 22, 23 and 24.

The body 19 of the actuator is retained in the housing by a clip 27 secured to the back of the inner side of the inner plate 12 by a screw 28 and extending across the rear end of the flange 21 to an angled end 29 which is hooked under the rear plate 12, the slot 26 in the rear plate being widened as at 30 to receive the hooked end.

Both the intermediate plate and rear plate 12 of the housing have laterally extending slots 31 and 32 respectively which open from the circular openings 23 and 24 in the plates. One slot 31 receives and anchors the outer or right end of a connecting sleeve 33 to the housing 1A with the sleeve projecting rearwardly through the aligned slot 32. As appears more clearly in FIGS. 5 and 6 the outer end of the connecting post 33 has parallel grooves which are received in the slot 31. The post 33 is internally threaded at 34 to engage the connecting screw 35 which extends rearwardly from the opposite lock assembly and housing 1B. A corresponding and opposed connecting screw 35A projects rearwardly from the lock assembly 1A and passes through the latch assembly 3 to the opposed post on the other lock housing. With particular attention to FIG. 5 it will be noted that the body 19 of the actuator has flatted sides 36 which engage the side of the post 33 and prevent its escape from the slot 31 in the intermediate plate. The assembly of the lock housing and the actuator therein thus requires only the manual engagement of the notched end of the connecting post in the slots 31 and 32, followed by insertion of the actuator body 19 and attachment of the retaining clip 27 over the inner end of the flange on the actuator body. Screw 35A passes through slots 31 and 32 in the other side of the plates, from an opening 47 in the front of the housing.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a modified form of the latch assembly in which an outer lock assembly 37 is a variation of the previously described lock assembly 1A and 1B. The latch retracted lock 37 coacts with an inner latch release assembly 38 and with the latch bolt 2 and latch assembly 3 indicated by dotted lines. The lock assembly 37 includes a housing 39 which is the same as the previously described housing 6 except that the outer plate and cover are imperforate except for the opening for the cylinder 20 of the key operated lock actuator. The housing 39 includes the same interior plate 9 as the housing 6 but two connector members 33A and 33B are engaged in the opposed slots 32 and project rearwardly or inwardly from the lock assembly toward actuator 40. The actuator 40 is a cup shaped stamping with an outer wall 41 having a central opening 42 for a manually operable latch releasing member having a knob 43. The releasing member 43 is retained axially in the stamping 41 by any suitable means such as the snap ring indicated by the dotted lines at 44 and has a tailpiece 45 which projects inwardly of the actuator to engage the latch assembly. The stamping 41 has two symmetrically arranged counter sunk screw openings 46 which receive a pair of connecting screws 48 engageable in the connecting posts 33A and 33B. Both of the connecting members 33A and 33B are retained in engagement with the intermediate plate by the sides of the body 19 of the lock actuator. In the modified assembly there is no screw opening through the outer face of the lock housing such as is indicated at 47 in FIG. 1. However, the same circular stampings 7, 9 and 12, together with the same actuator body 19 may be used to assemble the modified lock assembly 37.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A lock assembly comprising, a housing having a a key operated actuator having a body with a cylinder rotatable therein,

said body extending through said 'body receiving opening and having a radially projecting portion in angularly overlapping and rotation preventing engagement with a coacting portion of the edge of said opening,

means releasably connected to the inner side of said housing and overlying part of said body to prevent axial removal of the body from the housing,

and a connecting member disposed in side by side relation to said body and extending rearwardly from said housing,

the outer end of said connecting member having an axially overlapping connection with said first plate that is disengageable by movement of the connecting member radially inwardly of said opening,

said body blocking inward movement and disengagement of said connecting member when said body is in its retained position in said housing.

2. A lock assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said connection between said connecting member and said first plate comprises transverse grooves formed in the sides of the connecting member,

and a connector receiving slot formed in said first plate and opening to said body receiving opening with the edges of the slot arranged to fit within the grooves in said connecting member.

3. A lock assembly as defined in claim 2 in which the inner end of said connecting member defines an axially extending, internally threaded bore.

4. A lock assembly as defined in claim -5 in which there are two of said connector receiving slots formed in symmetrical relation on opposite sides of the opening in said first plate.

5. A lock assembly as defined in claim 4 in which said housing includes outer and inner plates spaced axially of said body of said actuator,

said outer plate defining an opening receiving the outer end of the cylinder of said actuator,

said inner plate defining an opening aligned with the opening in said first plate, and having connector receiving slots aligned with the corresponding slots in said first plate.

6. A lock assembly as defined in claim 5 in which said outer plate defines a screw hole aligned with the slots in one side of said first plate and said inner plate,

and a screw having a headed end received in said screw hole and engageable at its inner end with the inner end of the connector member of an oppositely disposed lock assembly.

7. A lock assembly as defined in claim 3 in which there are two connector receiving slots formed in said first plate,

two connector members engaged, one in each slot,

and an opposed latch operating assembly having two screws engageable in said connector members.

8. A lock assembly as defined in claim 7 in which said opposed latch operating assembly includes a plate re ceiving said screws,

and a manually operable latch releasing knob rotatably supported by said last plate.

9. A lock assembly comprising, a housinLg having axially spaced inner and outer plates defining aligned openings.

a key operated actuator having a body supported in said openings, with the cylinder of the actuator accessible through the opening in the outer plate,

a flange on said body received in a slot provided therefor in said inner plate, said slot opening to the body receiving opening in the inner plate,

a connector member secured to said housing and projecting inwardly from the inner side thereof,

5 and an actuator retaining clip secured to the inner side of said inner plate and extending across the inner end of said flange on said body, said clip having an L-shaped hook on one end passed through a widened portion of the slot in said inner plate and engaged against the outer side of the inner plate.

I10. A lock assembly as defined in claim 9 in which said housing has an intermediate plate spaced axially between said inner and outer plates,

said intermediate plate passing said body and the flange thereon,

said connector member being connected to said intermediate plate and passing through said inner plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X. R. 

